Sopore, Aug 19: Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi in Sopore is witnessing a robust marketing season this year, its president said on Wednesday, while urging the government to roll out the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and crop insurance, and seeking police action against those attempting to disrupt operations.
Fayaz Ahmed Malik (Kakaji), president of the Sopore Fruit Mandi, told reporters that the market, which operates for nearly two-and-a-half months from June, has been functioning smoothly so far. “Thank God, this year the market situation is good. We hope the trend continues,” he said.
Malik said his association has been in constant dialogue with the government over the implementation of MIS and crop insurance, which are critical to protect growers from price volatility and natural calamities. He also expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and the Agriculture Minister for resolving the National Highway bottleneck that had earlier threatened supply chains. “Our goods are reaching markets smoothly,” he added.
The president announced the formal registration and strengthening of the Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, originally established in 1979, to create a unified representative platform for the sector.
However, Malik raised a red flag over what he called “attempts by a small group” to disturb the mandi’s functioning, warning that such actions hurt thousands of daily-wage earners dependent on the trade. “They call themselves traders, but they behave like children,” he said, without naming any group.
In a direct appeal to the Sopore Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Malik demanded that an FIR be lodged against the miscreants, asserting that the matter is sub-judice and should be settled in court. “I will run this market, and I will continue to work for it,” he said, recalling his stewardship of the mandi during the turbulent period of 2019.
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